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Apr 24, 2017

That's right April through June is Summer in South Asia! There are actually 5 seasons on the Indian Subcontinent: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer and the Monsoon. What is called Spring and Summer here is really alternating bouts of pre-monsoon heat and pre-monsoon rains until the Monsoon starts in late June or early July. It took me like 2 years to figure that out. Above you see our kitties relaxing on the patio table during a bout of pre-monsoon heat last week. It was gleefully DRY after 3 weeks of continuous thunderstorms.

Caterpillars cavorting in the winter vegetables are a sure sign that Summer is here. This was the last of the Kashmiri haak or collards. The entire winter garden is now on the compost heap now. Corn, chilis okra, and tomatoes are the only veg I'm growing this Summer. Corn and okra will survive the Monsoon, the chilis and tomatoes will probably turn to mush about mid August.

The neighbors had a Buddhist house blessing for the new year. They do this every year and it is quite intensive. The lamas bless each room and area of the house. In the above photo they are on the roof finishing the blessing. Each room is purified and blessed with chanting, drums, horns, and incense. Lamas go door to door at the beginning of year signing up patrons for house blessings. They usually have a plastic laminated list of fees, photos, and copious documents verifying their authority from a tulku. The ceremony started at sunrise and continued 'til sunset. They used rose scented incense, I would have preferred nag champa but whatev's.

Our local vacant lot was host to some sort of district wide volleyball tournament. This went on for about a week and required micromanaging by no less than four men with LOUD bullhorns. No women's teams played. What's up with that?

The cha-cha convention started up at the local secondary school bus stop again. Some of the old uncles observed the volleyball tournament and some chose to watch the new momo stand being built behind the bus stop. The cha-chas will not take their coats and scarves off until it is at least 32C/90F. The topis (traditional pastel colored ikat Nepali caps) never come off out of doors.

Love was definitely in the air as this reptilian Romeo wooed a lady lizard on the garden wall. Romeo didn't seem to be having much luck as his potential paramour fell off the wall trying to evade his advances. True romance, eh? HIM the Baacha Khan (our tomcat) caught the unfortunate damsel when she fell.

I immediately rescued Ms Lizard from HIM the Baacha Khan. I am holding her by the tail because she will bite. It can be quite a nasty bite too. One of the neighbor kids developed a golf ball sized abscess full of vicious anaerobes after being bitten by one of these things. They are about a foot long with that whip-like tail. The orangey-red coloring on her head is brightest during mating season. The males sport a similar coloring, are slightly larger, and have a spiny lion-like ruff on their necks. These things are like mini Monitor lizards. Ms Lizard was safely released in the corn field. HIM the Baacha Khan was miffed.

Here's the neighborhood police kiosk with our local boys in blue. Nepal will be having it's first nationwide elections in 20 years next month. There are all sorts of rallies, speeches, and marches going on around town in preparation for the election. Everybody I've talked to seems really excited about implementing the new constitution of this fledgling democracy. Unfortunately some Madhesi groups along the southern border of Nepal are already refusing to participate and making threats. For this reason security is on high alert! Well, at least they're awake. (That isn't always the case.)

In other news, Kashmir is on the boil again. The photo you see above is a young Kashmiri man tied to the front of a military jeep by the Indian army as a "human shield" against protesters throwing stones. It is from a video that was allegedly taken on April 9th, the same day as an election for a Srinagar parliament seat. The vehicle the Kashmiri is tied to supposedly contains poll officials who faced a mob of angry stone-throwers. The army states the man was a protestor, the young man says he was simply returning home after voting. Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, the Indian government's chief legal advisor stated:

"The recent report about a stone pelter tied to an Army vehicle, it helped contain stone pelters and saved the poll officials. Why so much noise? Everyday people are dying. It's a surcharged atmosphere. The Army is dealing with terrorists not with protestors, so they will have to be dealt with...everyone should look at the Army with pride, they are doing a great job."

That about sums up the situation in Kashmir. Both mobile internet and fixed line broadband connectivity have been suspended in Kashmir but authorities refused to confirm the block on record. Am I afraid for my Kashmiri family? Yes.

I love this baby's expression. Baby is like "Yikes!" or "WTH!?!Seems a truly fitting meme for the 21st century. Mom is carrying her baby and hair clip with a shawl tied around her shoulders in typical Nepali fashion while shopping.

Lastly, here's the grand and glorious Mt Machapuchare aglow in the Sunday sunset. The sky was absolutely black and it poured and thunderboomered all day and then !!POOF!! at 5pm sharp the clouds parted. Out peeped the gorgeous Annapurna mountain range for a spectacular grand finale. I took this photo from the northeastern corner of our backyard. You can see our scraggly banana patch in the lower left. Mt Machapuchare is also nicknamed the "Matterhorn of Nepal" based on this view. The mountain's name means fishtail. (Macha means fish and puchare means tail or butt if you were wondering.) As you go around the peak you can see the double summit at the top which does indeed resemble a forked fish's tail. It stands at 6,993 m (22,943 ft) and is about 25 km/16 miles north of our house. The mountain is revered by the local population as sacred to the god Shiva, and hence is off limits to climbing.

So, that's all that's going on around here this Summer, what's going on 'round your neck of the woods?Are the fish jumpin' and the cotton high?

Apr 19, 2017

Panch Phoron is a fragrant blend of five spices and a signature flavor of traditional Bengali cuisine. Panch means five and phoron means spices or flavors. What makes this spice mix unusual is that it's typically used in its whole form rather than ground or powdered. Panch phoron can be used with any vegetable or lentil dish and is particularly good with seafood.

The five spices that traditionally comprise panch phoron are: fenugreek seed, nigella seed, radhuni seed, fennel seed, and cumin seed. All the spices have their own unique notes: the pungent maple-like flavor of fenugreek seed, the celery-like greeness of radhuni seed, the slightly bitter oregano-like nigella seed, the anisic punch of fennel seed, and the peppery warmth of cumin seed. So simple yet such depth of flavor!

Ajwain or Carom seeds

Radhuni or wild celery seeds

Some variations may substitute anise for the fennel, ajwain for the radhuni, and black cumin for nigella. Generally the ingredients are added in equal proportions, though this can vary according to taste. To make panch phoron you simply mix equal amounts of all the spices together and store it in an airtight container.

In the tradition of Bengali cuisine, one usually fries the panch phoron first in cooking oil or ghee. This causes the whole spices to start popping and become wonderfully fragrant. This technique is called baghaar or bagar in Bengali, and chaunk in Hindi. After this tempering, other ingredients are added to the fried spices to be coated or infused with the mixture. Dry roasted panch phoron is sometimes ground to make a powder that is sprinkled on chutneys. Although panch phoran is utilized in other parts of northern and eastern India, it's almost impossible to imagine Bengali food without it!

Panch phoron is available commercially under several brand names. You may also see this blend called panch puran, panch phutana, panch phoran or panch pora.If you'd like to make it yourself here's the recipe:

Helpful Hints:
I'm using mustard seeds in place of the traditional radhuni/wild celery seeds. You could also use ajwain for the Nepali version of panch phoron or just the plain celery seeds you can find in western markets.

Apr 17, 2017

Radhuni, ajmod, or wild celery is a spice unique to the cuisine of Bengal. The dried fruits or seeds closely resemble ajwain, caraway, and celery seeds in both appearance and flavor. In Bengali cuisine the seeds are used whole and quickly fried in very hot oil to mellow their sharp taste. Radhuni is also used in the traditional Bengali five spice mixture called panch phoron.

The botanical names for the radhuni plant are Carum roxburghianum and Trachyspermum roxburghianum. In Hindi the plant is called ajmod and in English it is also known as wild celery. The plant is a multi-branched flowering annual in the family Apiaceae and is related to ajwain and parsley. It is grown extensively as a fresh herb in the South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Indonesia and reaches up to three feet in height.

The fresh leaves of radhuni are used as an aromatic herb in Thailand and it is used medicinally in Myanmar. It is also known as kant-balu in Burmese, and phak chi lom in Thai. Young plants are harvested and consumed as s side salad or added to soup in Thailand, Viet Nam, and Myanmar. I've seen similar plants sold as a fresh herb here at markets in Nepal in the early Fall. I just thought they were lovage.

Radhuni is grown from seeds in small scale and multiple crops during rainy season. The plant or fresh herb looks like a cross between parsley, lovage, and celery. It prefers well drained soil that is calcium rich, a temperate climate, and partial sun.

The small dried fruits of the herb are commonly referred to as seeds. These seeds are utilized as the spice called radhuni in Bengali cuisine. They have a rather sharp, metallic parsley scent when raw. When fried in hot oil they mellow into a celery-like flavor. It is a very strong spice and more than couple of pinches can easily overpower a dish. After tempering the whole radhuni seeds are used to flavor pickles, chutneys, fish dishes, meat dishes, and dal.

The most common usage of radhuni in Bengali cuisine is in the famed five spice mixture called panch phoron. Panch means five and phoron means spice or flavor. The other ingredients in this blend are equal parts of cumin seed, fenugreek seed, fennel seed, and kalonji. Unlike most spice mixes, panch phoron is always used whole and never ground.

Panch phoron releases its aroma when the seeds are fried in hot oil or ghee. This tempering technique is called baghaar or chaunk and mellows the harsh flavors of the raw spices. After tempering, other ingredients are added to the fried spices to be coated or infused with the mixture. Traditionally, panch phoron is used with vegetables, chicken or beef curry, fish, lentils, pickles, and a unique vegetable dish called shukto.

If you are unable to find radhuni where you're at a good substitute would be celery seed. Celery seed's grassy, savory, earthy, slightly bitter flavor is quite similar to radhuni. This only difference I can discern between celery seed and radhuni is a bit of a lemony note.

Apr 12, 2017

For a more authentic Indian take on curried deviled eggs try this recipe with garam masala instead of curry powder. Garam masala is a traditional Indian spice mix whose warm and peppery notes brilliantly contrast with creamy egg yolks. Tangy tamarind from Worcestershire sauce and tart lime lend added zest to this dish also. An easy treat to make that can be served as an elegant appetizer before a posh dinner or at a springtime picnic!

I really think garam masala works much better with deviled eggs than the usual curry powder. Traditional blends of garam masalas are varying ratios of black pepper, cassia/cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, and possibly cumin, fennel, or star anise. The slightly sweet and richly aromatic warmth of these spices are far more complimentary to the delicate, creamy flavor of hard-cooked eggs than the readymade curry powders you'll find in western markets. Most of the curry powders you find for sale in western countries are far too harsh and fenugreek heavy. Try this recipe with your favorite store-bought brand of garam masala or make your own with one of these regional recipes from South Asia: Nepali Style Garam Masala, Basic Garam Masala, Mughlai Garam Masala, Kashmiri Garam Masala, or Parsi Garam Masala.

This recipe came about as I was looking for an appetizer to serve at a dinner party we were hosting. I wanted to showcase the beautiful eggs we have here in Nepal. (Above you see our handsome Gaston in black and white checks with with his lovely ladyfriend in red, Mademoiselle Belle.) We certainly don't have any curry powder in our Indian household so I used a recent batch of garam masala I had made. Shabash! It was a hit at the dinner party and has been requested at every meal we've hosted since! My Indian husband had never tasted deviled eggs of any sort but now these are his favorite which he lovingly calls "Eggs with cream." (Most Indians call mayonnaise cream.)

Look what I found at our local supermarket! All the way from New Orleans it's Crystal brand Worcestershire sauce. It's somewhat the worse for wear as one of the bottles in the case broke and leaked all over. How it got to Nepal from Louisiana boggles my mind. I do love the sharp, sweet, and tangy tinge of tamarind that worcestershire sauce gives to these deviled eggs. Worcestershire sauce has a slight asafoetida/hing-like umami punch that adds Indian flair too. I put a pinch of turmeric in for rich color and to cut the eggy taste a bit. Lime juice is another ingredient typical of Indian cuisine that brings it's floral tartness. Cilantro's fresh green herbaceous note is typically Indian also.You could certainly customize this recipe to your tastes and to what you have on hand. In place of the cilantro I've tried fresh mint, chopped chives, chopped olives, chopped cornichons, mango chutney, finely diced radish, finely diced red onions, and pickled jalapenos with great result!And so without further ado is the recipe:Ingredients:

4) Spoon or pipe egg yolk mixture into halved egg whites. For a do-it-yourself pastry bag, clip the end of a small sandwich bag and fill with the egg yolk mixture. Gently squeeze the bag from the top to pipe the mixture into the egg white halves.

5) Garnish each egg with chopped mint or cilantro. Sprinkle a little Kashmiri mirch, paprika, or cayenne pepper for an extra kick of flavor and color. This recipe can be made up to 4 hours ahead of serving. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 12 deviled eggs.

Apr 10, 2017

Today I'm going to share with you my preferred method to hard-cook eggs. Making hard-cooked eggs is easy! Follow the simple steps below for perfect hard-cooked eggs with tender whites and brilliant yellow yolks every time.

Egg-cellent eggs from our chooks!!!

What you need:
Eggs
Large enough pan to hold eggs in a single layer
cold water/ice

Here's what to do:

1) Place eggs in a wide, shallow pan just large enough to hold them in single layer. Add enough cold water to cover the eggs by one inch. Bring to just boiling on high heat.

2) Remove pan from burner. Cover pan with tight fitting lid. Let eggs steep in hot water for 15 minutes. Removing the pan from the heat allows the eggs to cook gently in hot water. This produces tender eggs and reduces cracking.

3) Pour hot water off immediately and cool completely under cold running water or in bowl of ice water. This will cause the egg to contract in the shell making peeling easier.

4) Allow the eggs to cool for at least 10 minutes. Then gently crack the shell of each egg on a hard surface. Starting peeling at large end. Hold the egg under cold running water to help ease the shell off in necessary.

5) Keep hard-cooked eggs in refrigerator safely for up to one week. Once peeled, hard-boiled eggs should be eaten that day.

Perfection!

Tips for perfect hard-boiled eggs:Want easy to peel hard-cooked eggs? The old saying is true, "Old eggs are for boiling, fresh eggs are for frying." The fresher the egg, the harder to peel. Use eggs that are at least 12 days old. I put mine in a a sealed plastic container labeled with the date at the back of the refrigerator for two weeks. As eggs age they take in air, which helps separate the membranes from the shell.

No!

Avoid the unappetizing greenish-grey halo. The harmless discoloration that sometimes forms around hard-cooked yolks results from a reaction between sulfur in the white and iron in the yolk. It occurs when eggs have been cooked at too high a temperature. At 170F/77C the yolk starts turning green and smelly sulfur compounds begin forming. Cooking eggs in hot water (not boiling) and then cooling immediately minimizes this.

Yup, it's a thing. Some beauty YouTuber called Nadi demonstrated that you can use a hard-boiled egg to blend makeup. Sounds kind of gross to me. Certainly not as unsanitary as those festering BeautyBlender or Silisponges so 'on trend' for blending cosmetics though. Not sure what you do with the egg after you've used it either. Now all the YouTube makeup vloggers are applying their makeup with weird things ranging from bras to tomatoes. No thank you, I shall stick to applying my foundation with my freshly washed hands. Some sage advice from your resident glamour guru Bibi: If it's taking more than your clean fingers to apply your foundation, buy a better foundation! Don't spend your money on gimmicky tools that require more time and products than your face to clean them! Or maybe try any random household item to apply your makeup. Whatev's.

Apr 5, 2017

Tantalize your tastebuds with this simple spicy okra dish from Nepal! Sliced okra is first flash-fried to banish any trace of slime. The pods are rendered crisp, delightfully chewy, and infused with the warmth of cumin, coriander, and chilis. Try this quick and easy vegan recipe to get a healthy serving of vegetables with any meal.

Nepalis do a lot of simple stir-frys like this. Be it potatoes, lab lab beans, or even chayote. If you see tareko on the menu at any casual eatery in Nepal you can be sure it will be a lightly spiced, fresh, and tasty vegetable side prepared this way. My maid showed me how to make this bhindi tareko or fried okra recipe that she makes quite often at home. It's the easiest, fastest, and most delicious okra dish that even my mutton-crazed Kashmiri family loves. Since this dish has a crisp and chewy texture it's a great way to use those okra pods that are a little past the petite and tender stage and are a bit large and fibrous. We enjoy this as a side dish with rice or rotis. If you're doing the low-carb thing I could see this as a delicious accompaniment to a garam masala spiced grilled chicken breast.

To minimize the dreaded slime that can accompany okra dishes it is advised that the pods be completely dry before slicing. I do this by rinsing them vigorously in a colander and then setting them out in full sun in the backyard to dry outside for at least two hours. It seems to help if the okra gets a little wilty before cutting too. Frying the sliced okra in salted and smoking hot oil really gets rid of any residual stickiness. After about ten minutes of frying any and all slime is absolutely gone. Do not cover the okra while cooking as steam seems to perpetuate sliminess also. Using a shallow, wide pan like a skillet so that the okra can be spread in a single layer help to achieve the crispy edges and aid in slime reduction too. Utilizing a pan with a non-stick finish will allow you to use considerably less oil if desired also. That's all the okra cooking tips I've learned over the years so now it's off to the recipe!

4) Fry for 5-7 minutes more or until the okra becomes crisp. (Don't worry if the okra seems a bit slimy, after about 10 minutes of frying the slime completely disappears.) Salt to taste and serve as an accompaniment to rice or rotis.

Helpful Hints:

You might wish to retrieve the dried red chilis from the dish right before serving. This will minimize the risk of anyone biting into a random fiery hot bit of chili while enjoying their okra. Nepalis and Kashmiris would not remove the chili bits before serving but might toss them aside on their plate when served.